Top UN humanitarian official to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 July 2007, 01:53 GMT]Mr.John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordination, will be in Colombo from 6th to 9th August. Media reports quoting UN office in Colombo said Mr Holmes is visiting Sri Lanka on invitation by the Sri Lanka Government and is intended as a familiarization visit of humanitarian issues.

The UN office also declined to elaborate on his visit as details are still being finalised. However UN office said his visit was not connected with the first death anniversary of 17 slain workers of the French based Action Against Hunger (ACF) during the first week of last August at Moothoor.

Meanwhile, ACF said it planned to hold the main commemorative event of 17 slain ACF workers on 6th August at the UN compound in Colombo.

A smaller event is planned in Trincomalee, according to media reports quoting ACF sources.

John Holmes was previously the British Ambassador in Paris, a post he has held since October 2001.